Automatic criticality assessment

Abstract

A method, of ranking a computerized-device within a taxonomy of components included as parts of a computer network, may include: providing a survey of services loaded on the computerized-device, the survey including identifications (IDs) of a plurality of service classes that can be loaded on the computerized-device, indications of whether at least one instance is present of the identified service classes, respectively, and weighting values associated with the identified service classes, respectively; and determining a rank of the computerized device based upon an average of the associated weighting values for ones of the identified service classes having at least one instance thereof present.

1 . A machine-actionable memory representing a taxonomy of components included as parts of a computer network, the machine-actionable memory comprising 
 one or more machine-actionable records arranged according to a data structure, the data structure including the following fields and links therebetween: 
 a root node field whose contents indicate an identification (ID) of the computer network;  
 a plurality of first node fields, reporting to the root node, whose contents indicate IDs of computerized-device types included as parts of the computer network, respectively; and  
 a plurality of criticality fields, associated with the plurality of first node fields, whose contents indicate a criticality to the computer network, respectively.  
   
     
     
         2 . The machine-actionable memory of  claim 1 , wherein the data structure further includes: 
 a plurality of second node fields reporting to at least one of the plurality of first node fields, respectively, 
 the contents of each second node field indicating an ID of a service class that can be loaded on the component type shown by the corresponding first node field; and  
   a plurality of weighting fields, associated with the plurality of second node fields, whose contents indicate a weight to be used in determining a value of the criticality field associated with the corresponding first node field, respectively.    
     
     
         3 . The machine-actionable memory of  claim 2 , wherein the data structure further includes: 
 a plurality of third node fields reporting to at least one of the plurality of second node fields, respectively, 
 the contents of each third node field indicating an ID of an instance of the service class shown by the corresponding second node field.  
   
     
     
         4 . A machine-actionable memory representing a survey of services loaded on a computerized-device, the machine-actionable memory comprising 
 one or more machine-actionable records arranged according to a data structure, the data structure including the following fields and links therebetween: 
 a root node field whose contents indicate an identification (ID) of the computerized-device;  
 a plurality of first node fields, reporting to the root node, whose contents indicate an ID of a service class that can be loaded on the computerized-device; and  
 a plurality of presence fields associated with the plurality of first node fields whose contents indicate whether an instance is present of the service class shown by the corresponding first node field, respectively.  
   
     
     
         5 . The machine-actionable memory of  claim 4 , wherein: 
 the data structure further includes 
 a plurality of second node fields reporting to at least one of the plurality of first node fields, respectively, 
 the contents of each second node field indicating an ID of an instance of the service class shown by the corresponding first node field; and  
 
   the plurality of presence fields are mapped to the plurality of second node fields, respectively, such the presence of one or more instances of a given service class is imputed to indicate the presence of the given service class.    
     
     
         6 . The machine-actionable memory of  claim 4 , wherein the data structure further includes 
 a plurality of weighting fields, associated with the plurality of first node fields, respectively, whose contents indicate a weight to be used in determining a value of the criticality field associated with the corresponding first node field.    
     
     
         7 . A method of ranking a computerized-device within a taxonomy of components included as parts of a computer network, the method comprising: 
 providing a survey of services loaded on the computerized-device, the survey including 
 identifications (IDs) of a plurality of service classes that can be loaded on the computerized-device,  
 indications of whether at least one instance is present of the identified service classes, respectively, and  
 weighting values associated with the identified service classes, respectively; and  
   determining a rank of the computerized device based upon an average of the associated weighting values for ones of the identified service classes having at least one instance thereof present.    
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the determining of a rank further includes 
 quantizing the average to obtain the rank.    
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the providing of a survey includes: 
 automatically surveying the computerized-device to determine which of the identified service classes have at least one instance thereof present; and    providing a machine-actionable memory arrangement that represents the survey.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the determining of a rank includes: 
 automatically indexing into the machine-actionable memory arrangement to obtain list of factors representing the identified service classes, each factor being a product of (1) a given weighting value (W) and (2) a given indication (P) of whether at least one instance is present of the corresponding service class;    setting, for each factor, P=1 for ones of the identified service classes having at least one instance thereof present and P=0 for ones of the identified service classes having no instance thereof present;    making a count (C) of how many factors have P=1;    summing the list of factors to obtain a sum (Σ); and    dividing the sum by the count, Σ/C.    
     
     
         11 . A method of ranking a plurality of computerized-devices within a taxonomy of components included as parts of a computer network, the method comprising: 
 automatically providing inventories of services loaded on each of the plurality of computerized-devices, respectively, each survey including 
 identifications (IDs) of a plurality of service classes that can be loaded on the computerized-device,  
 indications of whether at least one instance is present of the identified service classes, respectively, and  
 weighting values associated with the identified service classes, respectively;  
   automatically determining ranks for each of the plurality of computerized devices, respectively, each rank being based upon an average of the associated weighting values for ones of the identified service classes having at least one instance thereof present on the computerized device; and    automatically repeating the providing of inventories and the determining of ranks to reflect changes made to plurality of computerized devices since the preceding determination of ranks.    
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the automatically repeating is triggered by at least one of: 
 a request to update the ranks; and    expiration of an update interval.    
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the automatically providing inventories, for each computerized-device, includes: 
 automatically surveying the computerized-device to determine which of the identified service classes have at least one instance thereof present; and    providing a machine-actionable memory arrangement that represents the survey.    
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the automatically determining of ranks, for each machine-actionable memory arrangement, includes: 
 automatically indexing into the machine-actionable memory arrangement to obtain data upon which calculation of the average is made.    
     
     
         15 . A machine having a memory as in  claim 1 .  
     
     
         16 . A machine having a memory as in  claim 2 .  
     
     
         17 . A machine having a memory as in  claim 3 .  
     
     
         18 . A machine having a memory as in  claim 4 .  
     
     
         19 . A machine having a memory as in  claim 5 .  
     
     
         20 . A machine having a memory as in  claim 6 .  
     
     
         21 . A machine configured to implement the method of  claim 7 .  
     
     
         22 . A machine configure to implement the method of  claim 11 .  
     
     
         23 . A machine-readable medium comprising instructions, execution of which by a machine ranks a computerized-device within a taxonomy of components included as parts of a computer network, the machine-readable instructions comprising: 
 a first code segment to provide a survey of services loaded on the computerized-device, the survey including 
 identifications (IDs) of a plurality of service classes that can be loaded on the computerized-device,  
 indications of whether at least one instance is present of the identified service classes, respectively, and  
 weighting values associated with the identified service classes, respectively; and  
   a second code segment to determine a rank of the computerized device based upon an average of the associated weighting values for ones of the identified service classes having at least one instance thereof present.    
     
     
         24 . The machine-readable instructions of  claim 23 , wherein execution of the second code segment further renders the machine operable to: 
 quantize the average to obtain the rank.    
     
     
         25 . The machine-readable instructions of  claim 23 , wherein execution of the first code segment further renders the machine operable to: 
 automatically survey the computerized-device to determine which of the identified service classes have at least one instance thereof present; and    automatically provide a machine-actionable memory arrangement that represents the survey.    
     
     
         26 . The machine-readable instructions of  claim 25 , wherein execution of the second code segment further renders the machine operable to: 
 automatically index into the machine-actionable memory arrangement to obtain list of factors representing the identified service classes, each factor being a product of (1) a given weighting value (W) and (2) a given indication (P) of whether at least one instance is present of the corresponding service class;    set, for each factor, P=1 for ones of the identified service classes having at least one instance thereof present and P=0 for ones of the identified service classes having no instance thereof present;    make a count (C) of how many factors have P=1;    sum the list of factors to obtain a summation (Σ); and    dividing the summation by the count, Σ/C.    
     
     
         27 . A machine-readable medium comprising instructions, execution of which by a machine ranks a plurality of computerized-devices within a taxonomy of components included as parts of a computer network, the machine-readable instructions comprising: 
 a first code segment to automatically provide inventories of services loaded on each of the plurality of computerized-devices, respectively, each survey including 
 identifications (IDs) of a plurality of service classes that can be loaded on the computerized-device,  
 indications of whether at least one instance is present of the identified service classes, respectively, and  
 weighting values associated with the identified service classes, respectively;  
   a second code segment to automatically determine ranks for each of the plurality of computerized devices, respectively, each rank being based upon an average of the associated weighting values for ones of the identified service classes having at least one instance thereof present on the computerized device; and    a third code segment to automatically repeat the providing of inventories and the determining of ranks to reflect changes made to plurality of computerized devices since the preceding determination of ranks.    
     
     
         28 . The machine-readable instructions of  claim 27 , further comprising: 
 a fourth code segment to trigger execution of the third code segment upon there occurring at least one of: 
 a request to update the ranks; and  
 expiration of an update interval.  
   
     
     
         29 . The machine-readable instructions of  claim 27 , wherein execution of the first code segment further renders the machine operable to: 
 automatically survey the computerized-device to determine which of the identified service classes have at least one instance thereof present; and    automatically provide a machine-actionable memory arrangement that represents the survey.    
     
     
         30 . The machine-readable instructions of  claim 27 , wherein execution of the second code segment further renders the machine operable to: 
 automatically index into the machine-actionable memory arrangement to obtain data upon which calculation of the average is made.    
     
     
         31 . An apparatus for ranking a computerized-device within a taxonomy of components included as parts of a computer network, the apparatus comprising: 
 means for providing a survey of services loaded on the computerized-device, the survey including 
 identifications (IDs) of a plurality of service classes that can be loaded on the computerized-device,  
 indications of whether at least one instance is present of the identified service classes, respectively, and  
 weighting values associated with the identified service classes, respectively; and  
   means for determining a rank of the computerized device based upon an average of the associated weighting values for ones of the identified service classes having at least one instance thereof present.    
     
     
         32 . An apparatus for ranking a plurality of computerized-devices within a taxonomy of components included as parts of a computer network, the apparatus comprising: 
 means for automatically providing inventories of services loaded on each of the plurality of computerized-devices, respectively, each survey including 
 identifications (IDs) of a plurality of service classes that can be loaded on the computerized-device,  
 indications of whether at least one instance is present of the identified service classes, respectively, and  
 weighting values associated with the identified service classes, respectively;  
   means for automatically determining ranks for each of the plurality of computerized devices, respectively, each rank being based upon an average of the associated weighting values for ones of the identified service classes having at least one instance thereof present on the computerized device; and    means for automatically repeating the providing of inventories and the determining of ranks to reflect changes made to plurality of computerized devices since the preceding determination of ranks.